How do I install Stata in a directory other than /usr/local/stata?

For various reasons, some sites may wish to install Stata in a directory other than /usr/local/stata.

If you use Stata 12 or above, you may install Stata in any directory. Just make sure that the directory in which you install Stata appears in your PATH.

The rest of this FAQ is for users of Stata 11 and previous versions of Stata.

If you use Stata 11 or older, you may install Stata in /usr/local/stata11 (change the 11 as appropriate for your version) or /usr/local/stata. Wherever /usr/local/stata appears below, you may substitute /usr/local/stata11.

You may install Stata in any directory you like, but /usr/local/stata must exist, and it must be linked to the installation directory. Assuming you want to install Stata in /abc/def, you would type

        # mkdir /abc/def
        
        # ln -s /abc/def /usr/local/stata

You can then follow the instructions to copy the media and initialize the license in [GSU] Installation.

If you use Stata 9 or earlier, and if you have installed Stata in a directory other than /usr/local/stata, you will need to modify the instructions in [GSU] Create license-tracking file. Use the instructions below instead:

Create license-tracking file

Next create the license-tracking file. This file tracks the number of simultaneous users at your site. You create the file by starting Stata as superuser and typing simulinit:

        # cd /
        # PATH=/usr/local/stata:$PATH
        # export PATH
        # /usr/local/stata/stata
        . simulinit
        . exit

simulinit creates the file /usr/local/stata/.license/stata.sim; a file that must be readable and writable by all Stata users. simulinit handled that.

(The rest of the Unix installation instructions in the manual may be followed as is.)

After installation, you may find that you receive the message

stata.lic must be located in /usr/local/stata

Assuming you have linked /usr/local/stata to your installation directory, you may wonder why you are receiving this message. Stata looks at where it was started from to determine the directory in which it is installed. Thus, if /abc/def appears in your path before /usr/local/stata, Stata will think that its license file is in /abc/def.

Any user who wishes to use Stata should make sure that /usr/local/stata appears in the path before the real installation directory.